Report No. 10 of 1998 Date: 6 March 1998This report includes: A) Sierra Leone B) Angola C) Sudan D) East and Central Africa: Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) E) Afghanistan.
>From Manuel Aranda da Silva, Chief, Technical Support Service. Available on the Internet on the WFP Home Page at http://www.wfp.org/ or by electronic mail from Deborah.Hicks@wfp.org (fax 39 6 6513 2837). For information on resources, donors are requested to contact Francesco.Strippoli@wfp.org or Aleesa.Blum@wfp.org at WFP Rome, telephone 39 6 6513 2504 or 6513 2004. New address of WFP is Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, Rome 00148.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II)
A. SIERRA LEONE
1. Update a) As part of UN Consolidated Flash Appeal for Sierra Leone, WFP requests USD 2.1 million for logistics support and USD 275,000 for plane based Conakry to move relief workers and to deliver high value relief food and non-food items to remote areas. b) WFP delivers food via air and truck to Bo, Kenema and Kambia. c) WFP hires two vessels to transport food from Conakry to Freetown; first vessel due 9 March with 1,700 tons of food plus light vehicles for WFP and NGOs.
B. ANGOLA
1. Update a) Situation in the country inreasingly tense. b) Emergency food assistance to displaced persons affected by insecurity in Benguela and N'Zaji continues. c) 1998 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Angola launched 13 February. WFP has requested USD 37.3 million under the appeal.
C. SUDAN
1. Update a) 1998 UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Sudan launched. Of the USD 59 million requested by WFP under the appeal, USD 43.1 million is for OLS southern sector with high air transport costs. b) Current food supplies for WFP southern sector activities cover needs of only two months. c) Joint northern sector mission assesses humanitarian needs in Wau. Food is being moved to the area from both northern sector and the south.
D. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: BURUNDI, RWANDA, TANZANIA, UGANDA AND CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE
1. Burundi a) WFP mission to Murago and Minago in Bururi province confirms need for urgent humanitarian assistance for displaced population at these locations. b) CARE completes final distribution of WFP food reinstallation packages in Kayanza province. c) WFP Twin Otter aircraft re-commences internal passenger operations.
2. Rwanda a) Since mid-February, some 200 old caseload refugees arrive from Tanzania.
3. Tanzania a) Second voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees facilitated by UNHCR; 219 Burundian refugees repatriated from Kibondo camps. b) Food distributions in all refugee camps in the country, with varying rations and commodities; poor road conditions continue to hamper efforts to deliver full food requirements of the refugees. c) Drought update: WFP has received 50,515 tons of food from total confirmed pledges of 69,640 tons; distributions low due to disruptions in transport network; some 10,000 tons distributed so far.
4. Uganda a) FEWS February report indicates lower than normal yields expected for cereals and pulses of second season harvest now under way in western, central and eastern regions, due to the impact of flooding, water logging and high humidity. b) Rebels continue attacks in Gulu and Kitgum districts, in some instances looting food commodities just distributed to displaced population.
5. Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) a) Food situation precarious, especially for former refugees in transit sites. b) WFP assistance to target malnourished children.
E. AFGHANISTAN
1. Update a) Takhar quake operations continue to be constrained by bad weather, poor roads, and lack of vehicles. Food continues to arrive in the area. b) WFP to airdrop pulses and rice using ICRC plane. UN airlift not yet finalized. c) Bamyan logistics assessment of routes to Hairatan aborted when the mission threatened by armed men on several occasions. d) In Kandahar flood operation, WFP distributes food and non-food items to affected families.
PART II - DETAILS
A. SIERRA LEONE
1. UPDATE
1.1 A United Nations Consolidated Flash Appeal for Sierra Leone was launched on 3 March. WFP calls for USD 2.1 million to fund logistics support, including food airlifts and port rehabilitation, and USD 275,000 to operate a UN plane from Conakry to carry relief workers and to transport high value relief food and non-food items to remote areas. In anticipation of donor contributions, USD 1 million has been released for this operation from the WFP Immediate Response Account.
1.2 Over the past week, WFP successfully delivered urgently needed food supplies via air and truck to people in the areas of Bo, Kenema and Kambia. In its first road convoy to Sierra Leone since the removal of the military junta, WFP delivered 389 tons of food supplies to Kambia from Conakry. This food will be distributed by UNICEF and Medecins sans Frontieres, primarily to malnourished children in feeding centres in Kambia, Port Loko and Makeni. Supplies are expected to feed 40,000 people for one month. WFP convoys also carried relief supplies for CARE, Catholic Relief Services and World Vision International.
1.3 On 4 March, an airlift of 2.5 tons of corn blended flour and vegetable oil arrived from Conakry to feed people in Bo and Kenema. WFP has also sent two staff members to assess the situation in these two locations, which have endured heavy fighting over recent weeks. WFP awaits clearance from the Liberian government, UNSECORD and ECOMOG for a Hercules C-130 aircraft to make food deliveries from Monrovia to Bo and Kenema, to reach some 100,000 persons in need of food assistance in these areas.
1.4 WFP has hired two vessels to transport food from Conakry to Freetown; the first of which (the Sea Maid) is due to arrive on 9 March carrying 1,700 tons of food, as well as light vehicles for WFP and NGOs. The WFP Country Director for Sierra Leone and three international staff members are accompanying the vessel. The WFP office in Freetown is already operational with national staff members in place since the end of February.
1.5 The second vessel is scheduled to arrive mid-March and will carry 1,300 tons of food. A total of 570 tons of food, which arrived via vessel on 19 February, has already been distributed to needy persons in the Freetown area.
B. ANGOLA
1. UPDATE
1.1 The situation in the country has become increasingly tense with the occurrence of serious incidents related to passed deadlines as outlined in the Lusaka Protocol. A schedule for the completion of certain tasks set out in the protocol, most of which were to have been completed by the end of February, are still on hold.
1.2 The WFP Executive Board in February approved Angola Protracted Relief Operation 5602.02, for the period March 1998 to February 1999. This operation will provide 79,000 tons of food aid to 539,500 beneficiaries.
1.3 The 1998 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Angola was launched on 13 February by Ms. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF, during a visit to Angola. The appeal strategy is similar to that of 1997, which is to assist in the return of displaced persons, refugees, returnees and demobilizing soldiers. WFP has requested USD 37.3 million under the appeal.
1.4 WFP continues to supply emergency food assistance to displaced persons affected by insecurity in Benguela and N'Zaji, while at the same time increasing rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts to assist the return of displaced persons and returnees.
1.5 In a WFP food-for-work project, the NGO Halo Trust is clearing agricultural land in Bie. Halo Trust has demolished 1,091 unexploded ordinance in Huambo. WFP is purchasing two anti-tank mine vehicles for Halo Trust's demining programmes in these provinces.
1.6 WFP Luena, in partnership with UNICEF, is in the process of finishing the reconstruction of schools in Luena and Cameia in the province of Moxico.
C. SUDAN
1. UPDATE
1.1 On 19 February, the 1998 United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Sudan was launched. A total of USD 109.4 million has been requested to implement humanitarian projects throughout the country during the course of the year. Under the appeal, WFP has requested USD 59 million. Of this, USD 43.1 million will be used for the implementation of the southern sector OLS operation, whose high cost is mainly attributed to the need for air transport. Current food supplies for WFP southern sector activities cover needs of only two months.
1.2 From the northern sector, a joint WFP/UNICEF/UNHCU/ SCF-UK/MSF-H mission assessed humanitarian needs in Wau from 23-24 February. The mission reported that about 65 percent of the total population fled from Wau due to the fighting in Wau on 28 January and the ongoing internal insecurity. The mission recommended the fielding of a small multidisciplinary team to Wau town to fully assess and monitor the humanitarian situation. A multiagency team including WFP is scheduled to go Wau as soon as travel permits are granted to mission members. Some 414 tons of sorghum are on the way from Kosti through Raja to Wau by road to meet emergency food needs. The trucks will join a military convoy from Raja to Wau. Efforts continue to increase humanitarian intervention and delivery to from southern sector OLS as well, to the estimated 100,000 people recently displaced due to fighting from Wau, Aweil and Gogrial towns in Bahr el-Ghazal region.
1.3 In total, during the month of February, WFP delivered a total of 1,490 tons of food to 361,200 beneficiaries in the southern sector of OLS. Most beneficiaries were assisted in Bahr el-Ghazal (144,600 persons) and Jonglei (92,700 persons) regions. Lower quantitative deliveries than needed and anticipated were due mainly to flight suspension which lasted for most of the month. Within the February deliveries, some 360 tons of the food aid for Bahr el-Ghazal were delivered by road through Uganda.
1.4 Further information from northern sector:
a) In West Kordofan, a joint WFP/UNICEF/UNHCU/HAC assessment mission visited Abyei and Meiram between 20 through 22 February to verify whether there have been influx of displaced persons into both towns from Wau. The mission did not find any unusual population influx into these two locations. However, it recommended a close monitoring of the overall situation given the continued insecurity in Bahr el Ghazal.
b) In South Darfur, a joint WFP/HAC team reassessed needs in Ed Daein displaced camps from 23-28 February. The mission visited five camps out of ten and recommended immediate prepositioning of food intervention early March. WFP plans to preposition 3,521 Mts of food commodities in three tranches in Ed Daein in March, May and June.
c) Also in the northern sector, WFP has started loading cargo on eight barges which will deliver a total of 2,049 tons to 377,350 beneficiaries at 34 drop-off points along the Nile corridor. The barge convoy is due to depart Kosti next week.
D. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: BURUNDI, RWANDA, TANZANIA, UGANDA AND CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE
1. BURUNDI
1.1 The WFP mission that visited Murago and Minago, in Bururi province, to assess the requirements of the displaced persons in these areas, confirmed the severity of the situation at several nutritional feeding centres and the need for urgent humanitarian assistance. WFP plans to provide 50 tons of food per week to 10,800 displaced persons in the two locations, targeting 2,700 malnourished patients registered at the health posts, together with their families. Correction to last week's report: the request received from Caritas for Murago was only for the 1,000 beneficiaries of the supplementary feeding centre and not for the total displaced population in the area.
1.2 CARE has now completed the third and final instalment of WFP food reinstallation packages in Kayanza province. Under this programme, initiated during August of last year, WFP has provided a total of 2,743 tons of food for a population of 87,873 persons. WFP has also handled the logistics and programme coordination for the seeds and tools distributions to these populations.
1.3 The new Twin Otter aircraft operated by WFP has arrived in Bujumbura on 1 March to re-commence internal operations. This aircraft is essential in Burundi, due to the prevailing security situation which prevents humanitarian staff movements by road.
2. RWANDA
2.1 Food deliveries to the two main refugee camps in Kibuye and Byumba continue as planned. The road leading to the Kibiza camp in Kibuye is however in poor condition and WFP will require assistance from UNHCR to deliver the food from Kibuye town to the camp.
2.2 Some 200 old caseload refugees have arrived in Rwanda since mid February, via the Nyagatare transit centre. Interviewed refugees said more people may arrive in the near future from Tanzania. WFP has sufficient food supplies in the transit centre to cope with an increased number of returnees.
3. TANZANIA
3.1 During the last week of February, 219 Burundian refugees were repatriated from their camps in Kibondo. This caseload received a one-week food ration of all commodities and a one-day supply of high-energy biscuits. This marks the second voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees facilitated by UNHCR. The repatriation of the Congolese refugees in Tanzania proceeded also during the week, with two trips accomplished, carrying a total of 1,599 refugees.
3.2 General food distributions were carried out in all refugee camps in the country, with varying rations and commodities. Poor road conditions continue to seriously hamper efforts to meet in full the food requirements of the refugees. Alarming mortality rates for under fives in Kibondo camps were reported for the week under review. The responsible health organization attributes these deaths to malaria and anaemia.
3.3 Drought update: to date, WFP has received 50,515 tons of food from the total confirmed pledges of 69,640 tons. Close to 10,000 tons have been distributed so far in the various districts. The low level of distributions was caused mostly by disruptions in the transport network, with transporters reluctant to use their trucks on bad roads, even after having re-negotiated transport rates.
4. UGANDA
4.1 The Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) report for Uganda for the month of February indicates that the second season harvest is under way in western, central and eastern regions, with lower than normal yields expected for cereals and pulses, due to the impact of flooding, water logging and high humidity, caused by abnormally high rainfalls. Low yields are also expected for cash crops such as cotton and coffee, with cotton production for 1997/98 expected to be 40 percent lower.
4.2 The report also states that despite the crop losses due to the effects of drought and high rainfall in 1997, all major markets report that staple food crops are available. Prices remain historically high, reflecting low supply and reduced access. Meteorological authorities in Uganda have warned that anomalous rainfall patterns are expected to continue through 1998.
4.3 Security remains problematic in the northern districts of Gulu and Kitgum and all trucks transporting WFP food commodities to Kitgum district must obtain clearance from the military authorities. In various incidents, rebels have staged attacks after food distributions, looting the food commodities distributed to the displaced population.
5. REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
5.1 Four months after the civil war in Congo/Brazzaville, the food situation of the population remains precarious, particularly for the former refugees presently accommodated in transit sites. The resumption of agricultural activities is being hampered by lack of seeds, as the existing stocks were consumed during wartime.
5.2 An estimated 7 percent of the children are malnourished and WFP will pay special attention to the needs of these groups. Cholera cases continue to be reported, with over 1,000 cases registered at Pointe Noire and in the Kouilou region. A mission from the local health authorities reported also many cases of typhoid fever in the hinterland.
E. AFGHANISTAN
1. UPDATE
1.1 Takhar quake
a) The weather continues to be exceptionally bad in Rustaq district of Takhar province where heavy snow is falling. Four additional WFP staff members have now arrived in Rustaq to help monitor food distribution in Rustaq city and outlying villages affected by the massive earthquake of 4 February.
b) WFP's target for delivery to the affected population is 1,500 tons of food to cover the worst affected for up to six months. As of 6 March, 454 tons had arrived, 378 from Tajikistan and 76 from WFP Faizabad in neighboring Badakshan province. The supply of food from Tajikistan continues. A 40 ton barge/tug has been cleared by local authorities to replace the rafts made of tires and planks, which will increase the daily loading capacity. The major constraint at this time is not food availability but bad weather, terrible roads, and lack of vehicles. Vehicles currently in place break down rapidly due to poor conditions.
c) The ICRC airdrop to the area as part of their initial response has been completed. On 7 March, weather permitting, WFP will airdrop 40 tons of pulses and 10 tons of rice from Peshawar using the ICRC plane. Meanwhile, the UN airlift is not yet finalized. WFP is scheduled to airlift 470 tons of food from Peshawar into Khojaghar (the nearest airstrip to the quake site) and Faizabad.
1.2 Bamyan: A WFP mission which flew in to Bamyan city on 26 February to conduct a logistic assessment of routes to Hairatan and routes to affected areas in the Hazarajat was aborted short of Dar-I-Suf when the mission was threatened by armed men, who also subjected the vehicle to a forced search. The mission was waylaid in this manner three times.
1.3 Kandahar floods: WFP is taking the lead in the distribution of food and non-food items to those families affected by the recent floods in Kandahar and Helmand provinces in southwest Afghanistan. These are the most serious floods in the region for the past decade. Distribution to cover one month's needs began on 5 March to those already identified and registered in Kandahar province. WFP is providing wheat and sugar from in-country stocks. ICRC will supplement this with pulses and oil. Assessment in Zabul has begun.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 10 of 1998 - March 6, 1998)
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